Nail tincture spray can

ABSTRACT

A spray can for nail tincture comprises a tincture container containing a nail-treatment tincture. The nail tincture includes an active ingredient, a care substance, a solvent and a propellant gas. The tincture container is sealed by a cover, with the cover carrying an outlet valve. For actuating the outlet valve, a spray head is mounted on the cover. The spray head has an outlet channel extending therethrough for conveyance of the tincture to the discharge orifice. To make it possible to apply nail tincture onto a nail, particularly a foot nail, in a well-aimed manner out of a larger distance, the invention provides that the outlet channel is connected to a tube piece.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a nail tincture spray can for applying a nail tincture onto a nail infected by a fungus or the like. Further, the invention relates to a method of using a spray can for applying nail tincture to a nail.

For treatment of a nail, particularly a foot nail, which is infected by a fungus or the like, it is required to treat the nail with a nail tincture. The nail tincture can be applied e.g. by use of a brush. Treatment with the aid of a brush, however, will undesirably lead to contamination of the brush and thus possibly result in transmittal of the causative agent to other nails. Further, a pipette can be used for application of the nail tincture, which again involves the risk of contamination of the application tool, i.e. the tip of the pipette in this case. Further, the use of a brush or a pipette for applying the nail tincture is disadvantageously cumbersome, particularly for older patients, because the application of the nail tincture by means of a brush of a pipette will necessitate sufficient physical flexibility on the patient's part to allow the patient to apply the tincture on his own.

A further possibility for applying the nail tincture resides in the use of a spray can for application of the tincture by spraying it onto the nail. This, however, entails the disadvantage that the nail tincture will be atomized so that, in order to effect a well-aimed application of the nail tincture onto the infected site, the spray head must be advanced very close to the nail. Unfavorably, this circumstance will again render the process difficult particularly for older patients.

It is an object of the invention to provide a nail tincture spray can which makes it possible, particularly also for older patients, to apply nail tincture i onto foot nails in a simple and convenient manner.

According to the present invention, the above object is achieved by a nail tincture spray can according to claim 1 and a method of using a spray can for applying a nail tincture according to claim 12.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The nail tincture spray can according to the present invention comprises a tincture container accommodating the nail tincture. The nail tincture includes an active ingredient, a care substance, a solvent and a propellant gas. The tincture container, usually made of metal, is tightly sealed by a cover. The cover is e.g. formed with a metallic edge or is made completely of metal so that a tight connection of the tincture container with the cover can be realized by crimping the cover onto the container. The cover has an outlet valve arranged therein. The outlet valve can be provided as a small tube which, when pressed slightly into the tincture container, will cause an outlet orifice of the tincture container to be opened, thus allowing the tincture to flow out through this orifice. Further, the nail tincture spray can is provided with a spray head mounted to the cover or the outlet valve and arranged to actuate the outlet valve. An outlet channel extends through the spray head and is connected to the outlet valve, particularly to the tube of the outlet valve. When the spray head is actuated, the tincture will flow through this outlet channel to a discharge orifice to be sprayed out by the latter.

To allow for a well-aimed application of the nail tincture onto a foot nail also from a larger distance, the outlet channel of the spray head is connected to a tube piece. As a result, the tincture will not be issued directly from the spray head and thus be atomized; instead, the tincture will be concentrated by the tube piece in the lengthwise direction, thereby producing a jet which the patient can then direct onto the infected nail. Thus, nail tincture can be applied to an infected foot nail in a well-targeted manner also out of distances larger than 10 cm. The use of the inventive nail tincture spray can considerably facilitates the application of nail tincture onto a foot nail, which is of particular benefit for older patients. Further, a danger of contamination is avoided.

The spray can of the invention, apart from its use for the application of nail tincture, is useful also for the application of a different tincture or another active ingredient to be applied in a well-aimed manner from a larger distance onto a less accessible site of a body. Thus, the invention is not restricted to the application of nail tincture although the invention is particularly suited for this purpose.

Preferably, the tube piece is tightly connected to the spray head. Particularly, the tube piece and the spray head are formed as an integral unit. This unit can be provided as a plastic component formed e.g. by injection molding. The tube piece has a length of preferably more than 10 mm; particularly preferred is a length of more than 15 mm. Further, it is provided that, prior to using the nail tincture spray can, the tube piece can be mounted e.g. to a connection portion of the spray head so as to connect the tube piece with the outlet channel.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the tube piece is at least partially surrounded by a stiffening sleeve. In case of a cylindrical tube piece, the stiffening sleeve is provided as a closed hollow cylinder connected to the tube piece e.g. by webs. Preferably, a plurality of stiffening sleeves are provided, arranged particularly concentrically to each other. In this manner, deformation of the tube piece is avoided and the production is facilitated. The stiffening sleeves are preferably connected to the tube piece and/or the spray head. Preferably, the tube piece and the stiffening sleeves are combined to form an integral unit which is preferably made of plastic.

Preferably, the at least one stiffening sleeve is connected to the spray head and provided as one piece, preferably made of plastic. The stiffening sleeve is preferably connected to the spray head in a manner to have the tube piece extend beyond the stiffening sleeve on the side facing away from the spray head.

The active ingredient preferably provided in the tincture container is particularly an antimycotic agent such as clotrimazole and/or an antimicrobial agent such as undecyleneamide DEA. Suitable care substances are particularly those of vegetable origin, such as Persea gratissima. Also other per se known skin-care products such as panthenol can be used. If required, further auxiliary agents can be added for generating a tincture or for preservation.

According to the invention, the tincture can also contain solution aids such as propylene glycol.

Typically, the solvent in the nail tincture is an aqueous solution of a skin-tolerable alkanol, or it is the skin-tolerable alkanol itself.

As a propellant gas, propane and/or butane can be used.

The individual components can be included in the following ranges of proportions (% by weight): Solvent 60-80%, particularly 65-75% Care substance 0.1-10%,  particularly 0.5-4% Active ingredient 0.1-10%,  particularly 0.5-2% Propellant gas 15-35%, particularly 20-30%

Further, the invention relates to a method of using the above described spray can for applying the above described nail tincture to a nail, particularly to a foot nail.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in greater detail hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic lateral view of the nail tincture spray can;

FIG. 2 is a schematic lengthwise sectional view of the spray head; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the spray head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The nail tincture spray can according to the instant invention comprises a tincture container 10 with a nail tincture contained therein. The nail tincture comprises an active ingredient, a care substance, a solvent and a propellant gas. The tincture container 10, which normally is made of metal, is kept under pressure and is closed by a cover 12. Cover 12 is normally also made of metal. The connection of cover 12 to tincture container 10 is realized in that the edge 14 of cover 12 is crimped onto the substantially cylindrical tincture container 10. Arranged within cover 12 is an outlet valve 16 comprising a tubular outlet 18. By pressing the tubular outlet 18 in a downward direction according to FIG. 1, valve 16 will be opened so that, under the effect of the internal pressure in the tincture container 10, tincture is caused to flow upwards through the outlet tube 18 out of tincture container 10.

The tincture flowing through outlet tube 18 is guided through a spray head 20 to a discharge member 22. Spray head 20 is closed by a cap 24 to preclude that the spray head might be actuated by mistake.

Spray head 20 (FIG. 2) comprises a substantially cylindrical body 26 mounted to cover 12. Further, spray head 20 is provided with an actuating member 28 which through a constricted portion 30 is flexibly connected to the body 26 of spray head 20. Thus, the actuating member 28 as shown in FIG. 2 can be pressed downwards and, when released, will under the effect of the above elastic connection 30 return to its initial position according to FIG. 2. By actuation of actuating member 28, outlet tube 18 of valve 16 in FIG. 1 is pressed downward so that the valve will be opened. In the process, the outflowing tincture will enter an outflow channel 32 provided in spray head 20 and flow through this channel in the direction of the discharge orifice 22.

Outflow channel 32, along its course internally of actuating member 28, is formed to follow an angle in a lateral direction. Thereupon, outflow channel 32 enters a tube piece 34 preferably formed in one piece with spray head 20.

To lend stability to the tube piece 34, the tube piece is partially surrounded by a stiffening sleeve 36 and a further stiffening sleeve 38 arranged concentrically to stiffening sleeve 36. Between the stiffening sleeves 36,38 and the tube piece 34, webs are arranged for connecting these components to each other.

-   When the actuating member 28 is actuated, valve 16 is opened, and     tincture will flow through outflow channel 32 towards discharge     orifice 22. Due to the inventive provision of a tube piece 34     including a thin channel 40 entered by the outflow channel 32, it is     safeguarded that the tincture issuing from the discharge orifice 22     can be applied in a well-aimed manner out of a larger distance onto     a nail or other body region undergoing treatment.

EXAMPLE

The nail tincture comprises the following compositions (in %): Alcohol denat. 70.83 Butane 25.00 Persea gratissima 1.51 Clotrimazole 1.01 Panthenol 0.76 Undecyleneamide 0.15 Propylene glycol 0.74 

1. A nail tincture spray can, comprising a tincture container containing a nail tincture including an active ingredient, a care substance, a solvent and a propellant gas; a cover tightly sealing the tincture container; an outlet valve arranged in the cover; a spray head for actuating the outlet valve; and an outlet channel extending through the spray head; wherein the outlet channel is connected to a tube piece for well-aimed discharge of the tincture.
 2. The nail tincture spray can according to claim 1 wherein the tube piece is tightly connected to the spray head.
 3. The nail tincture spray can according to claim 1 wherein the tube piece is partially surrounded by a stiffening sleeve.
 4. The nail tincture spray can according to claim 3 wherein the stiffening sleeve, is connected to the spray head in such a manner that the tube piece extends beyond the stiffening sleeve on the side facing away from the spray head.
 5. The nail tincture spray can according to claim 1 wherein the active ingredient is an antimycotic agent.
 6. The nail tincture spray can according to claim 5 wherein the antimycotic agent is clotrimazole.
 7. The nail tincture spray can according to claim 1 wherein the care substance is at least one substance of vegetable origin selected from the group consisting of: Persea gratissima, panthenol and undecyleneamide DEA.
 8. The nail tincture spray can according to claim 1 wherein the nail tincture further comprises a solution aid.
 9. The nail tincture spray can according to claim 1 wherein the solvent is an aqueous solution of a skin-tolerable alkanol, or a skin-tolerable alkanol.
 10. The nail tincture spray can according to claim 9 wherein the skin-tolerable alkanol is ethanol.
 11. The nail tincture spray can according to claim 1 wherein the propellant gas is propane and/or butane.
 12. A method of using a spray can comprising a container tightly sealed by a cover; an outlet valve arranged in the cover; a spray head for actuating the outlet valve; an outlet channel extending through the spray head; and a tube piece connected to the outlet channel, for well-aimed discharge of nail tincture contained in the container and including an active ingredient, a care substance, a solvent and a propellant gas, comprising the step of applying the nail tincture to a nail. 